Gezicht op de rotsformaties van de Tuin der goden te Colorado before 1874

This photograph of the rock formations in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado, was made by J. Collier. It is an image that evokes a sense of wonder at the natural world, but we must consider the moment in history when it was made and the place that it occupied within a larger social and cultural landscape. This image comes from a time of great expansion in the United States, when the western territories were being opened up for settlement and exploitation. Railroads like the Denver and Rio Grande, mentioned in the accompanying text, were key to this process, facilitating the movement of people and goods and connecting the region to the rest of the country. The naming of the area “Garden of the Gods” reflects a fascination with the sublime in nature but also implies the dominance of European culture. To understand this image fully, we might turn to archival sources, travel narratives, and histories of the American West. We would learn how the representation of landscape played a role in shaping national identity.